Nanwangdian Watermelon

Nanwangdian Watermelon

　　 Nanwangdian watermelon is a specialty of Nanwangdian Town, Dingtao County, Heze City, Shandong Province. Thanks to its excellent reputation and high quality, it has gained widespread popularity in the market and is loved by consumers. In recent years, it has even been exported to cities such as Tianjin, Shanghai, and Jiangsu.

　　 Wanglou Administrative Village was the first place in Nanwangdian Town to grow watermelons and remains the largest watermelon-growing village in the town today. Many local melon farmers have witnessed the development of the local watermelon industry. Throughout the production process, the township strictly adheres to technical protocols. For pest and disease control, it primarily uses agricultural, physical, and biological methods, explicitly prohibiting the use of highly residual pesticides. At the same time, it promotes the extensive application of well-rotted, high-quality organic fertilizer, implements soil testing and formulated fertilization, and supplements with inorganic fertilizers such as compound fertilizer and potassium dihydrogen phosphate. These measures effectively control the amount and residue of pesticides and chemical fertilizers used, ensuring the product’s pollution-free and natural qualities. In August 2006, Nanwangdian watermelon was certified as a “Pollution-Free Agricultural Product Production Area” by the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture, and in October, it received national certification as a “Pollution-Free Watermelon” product from the Ministry of Agriculture. As the saying goes, “High standards create high quality, and high quality brings high income.” Leveraging its unique seasonal advantage and solid product quality, Nanwangdian watermelon quickly established itself in the market. It not only helped many melon farmers prosper but also earned the small town of Nanwangdian, with a population of just over 30,000, the well-deserved title of “Watermelon Town.”

　　 The watermelon planting area in Nanwangdian Town has now exceeded 15,000 mu, with an annual output value reaching 130 million yuan. As an emerging force in the Heze fruit market, it focuses on the off-season market with its advantages of “early availability and great taste,” quickly winning the favor of local consumers. In recent years, it has also been exported to cities such as Shanghai and Lanzhou, forming a Heze “duet” in the fruit market alongside Dongming watermelons.